French troops take back key Mali town from militants

French soldiers have achieved their first victories in Mali, recapturing a key
town from al-Qaeda and foiling an Islamist advance towards the Niger river.

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Malian soldiers on their way Niono, 340km north of BamakoPhoto: AFP

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Some 1,800 French troops are now in Mali, with the total force expected to reach 2,500Photo: EPA

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France deployed troops to guard the bridge at Markala, while sending special forces across the river to help the Malian army to counter-attackPhoto: EPA

By David Blair, Sarakala

6:56PM GMT 18 Jan 2013

Convoys of French armoured personnel carriers moved north of the Niger, heading past the village of Sarakala and driving into the Sahelian plains.

The national army, supported by the French, seized back the town of Konna in central Mali from "al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" (AQIM) and its allies.

The fall of Konna last week was the key event that triggered the French intervention. Its capture left only a single weak garrison standing between AQIM and the capital, Bamako.

But the army announced that Konna was back in their hands. A military statement said: "We have wrested total control of Konna after inflicting heavy losses on the enemy." France later confirmed the Malian army's claim. The recapture of Konna lifts the immediate threat to Bamako and the rest of southern Mali.

But AQIM's fighters have also opened a new front in a different region of southern Mali, seizing the town of Diabaley on Monday and striking towards the north bank of the Niger.

France responded by deploying troops to guard the bridge at Markala, while sending special forces across the river to help the Malian army to counter-attack.

Early reports suggested that AQIM lost Diabaley Friday, although mopping up operations were said to be continuing. French troops have called in air strikes by Mirage and Rafale jets.

Some 1,800 French troops are now in Mali, with the total force expected to reach 2,500. While AQIM's advance into southern Mali has been blocked and partially rolled back, the Islamists are still in control of the northern two-thirds of the country, including the cities of Timbuktu, Gao and Kidal.

So far, France has prevented them from taking the rest of Mali, but its troops have not tried to break AQIM's dominance of the north.

That task will probably fall to the Malian army and an African force comprised of 3,000 troops from neighbouring countries. When this new unit will be ready to take the offensive is unclear: many of its soldiers have not yet arrived and a European Union training mission will not deploy in Mali until next month.

Many ordinary Malians want their country to be reunited as soon as possible. Fatoumata Maiga, 45, fled Diabaley shortly before it fell to the Islamists. "My neighbour came and said 'don't you know about the fighting that is coming, you must get away from here'." She gathered her five sons and five daughters and fled to the town of Marikana, leaving all her possessions behind.

Marikana now serves as the local hub for the French forces and the base for the counter-attack towards Diabaley.